Volume 1 Chapter 38: Junior Sister, Senior Brother Is Super Bad
Tn: Edited at 6 / 5 / 2025
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Ye Anping casually made up an excuse to send Bai Yuelin back to the Profound Star Sect, locked the door to his therapy clinic, and stuck a handwritten note on the entrance: "Out on urgent business." Then, he flew off on his sword alongside Zhuang Hu, heading to a dilapidated mountain shrine where they met up with four others.
Once everyone had arrived, Zhuang Hu exchanged the Seven Killers Sect's secret code with the newcomers to confirm their identities.
After that, they all introduced themselves briefly—before Zhuang Hu suddenly pulled out a jar of wine, dragged everyone in front of the decrepit Taoist statue inside the temple, and suggested they become sworn brothers.
Ye Anping was honestly at a loss for words.
But the other four agreed with zero hesitation, and since he couldn't exactly refuse, Ye Anping reluctantly picked up a bowl of wine and officially became the sixth "brother" of the group.
After some small talk, Ye Anping took the lead and guided the group through a hidden path—one only he knew—circumventing the Profound Star Sect's protection formation and the patrolling disciples, sneaking into the rear mountains of the sect.
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In a cave near the peak of the Snow Spirit Peak, deep within the Profound Star Sect's rear mountains...
The campfire crackled softly, but the cold wind blowing in from the cave mouth was bitter and piercing.
The Snow Spirit Peak was where the coldest spiritual energy of the Profound Star Sect gathered. Among the many peaks in the back mountains, it was definitely one of the harshest environments.
During the sect's physical trials, disciples were randomly teleported to different peaks. They had five days to return to the main peak in order to pass.
For Feng Yudie and the others, even if they weren't allowed to use their flying swords, this wouldn't normally be much of a challenge.
Unfortunately, as soon as they arrived at the Snow Spirit Peak, a snowstorm began to rage—one that felt like it wanted to devour them alive.
Left with no choice, the group had to find a nearby cave. After spending some effort driving out the beast that had claimed it, they huddled inside, deciding to wait until the storm eased up before continuing.
But even within the cave and beside the fire, the cold spiritual energy of the Snow Spirit Peak wasn't something they could easily endure.
Pei Lengxue didn't seem bothered. After all, she had long since grown used to being frozen by her Senior Brother.
But Xiao Yunluo, who was sitting next to her, was struggling.
She'd been rubbing her shoulders non-stop, and her teeth were chattering like a tiny woodpecker.
"Haaah—"
Xiao Yunluo sniffled and shrank her neck deeper into her collar, then glanced at the calm and composed Pei Lengxue beside her, unable to hold back any longer.
"Y-y-y-y-you… a-a-aren't c-c-c-c-cold?"
Pei Lengxue opened her eyes and looked at her trembling lips. After a moment of thought, she replied, "Just circulate your spiritual energy to warm yourself."
"I am circulating it... Otherwise I'd already be a popsicle!" Xiao Yunluo pouted, then slowly inched closer to Pei Lengxue, looking awkward and hesitant. "C-can I, um, sit next to you?"
"You're really that cold?"
"My hands are basically frozen solid…"
Pei Lengxue sighed softly, paused for a second, then took off her outer robe, scooted over, and wrapped it around the two of them. She gently took Xiao Yunluo's hands and started rubbing them to warm her up.
Xiao Yunluo stiffened when Pei Lengxue took her hands, her head bowing slightly as her cheeks turned faintly pink.
But her blush wasn't from embarrassment—it was from shame.
After all, she was the only daughter of the mighty "Moon Dan Master," the Young Mistress of the the Profound Star Sect, born with a heavenly spiritual root, and raised with the very best cultivation resources.
Those elders who had taught Xiao Yunluo cultivation since childhood had never held back in their praise—"a peerless genius," they'd said.
She took great pride in it. And she had never slacked off.
No sleeping in, a perfectly disciplined routine every day. Every sword practice was rigorous. Every lecture was listened to with utmost seriousness.
From the moment she began cultivating at the age of five, up until now—ten years later—Xiao Yunluo had been relentless.
So, the first time she met Pei Lengxue, Xiao Yunluo had naturally assumed she was just another weakling. When she approached her that day, it was really just to show off a little and stroke her own ego.
"Heh, pretty impressive, right? I lasted a whole fifteen minutes against Senior Sister Bai before getting knocked off the platform!"
That was what she'd planned to say—until she saw Pei Lengxue casually knock Senior Sister Bai off the stage in a single strike.
She had been stunned.
And now, watching Pei Lengxue sit calm and composed in the middle of this freezing cold, as if she were made of ice herself, Xiao Yunluo felt that same sting of defeat creeping in again.
Biting her lip, she muttered with a trace of jealousy, "Why are you so good at everything...?"
"Hm?" Pei Lengxue tilted her head, not hearing clearly. "What?"
"I'm about to freeze to death and your hands are warm like a furnace," Xiao Yunluo grumbled, frowning. "Seriously—why are you so good at everything?!"
"Am I?"
"Don't play dumb with me! Or are you just fishing for compliments?" Xiao Yunluo pouted in irritation. "Your cultivation is even one realm lower than mine! So how the heck did you knock Senior Sister Bai off the stage like that? What kind of sword technique are you practicing?!"
"...The one my Senior Brother taught me."
"Your Senior Brother…"
Xiao Yunluo narrowed her eyes, noticing the way Pei Lengxue's expression lit up slightly as she mentioned him. It wasn't the first time she'd seen it either—this dopey, inexplicable smile that always showed up whenever Pei Lengxue talked about him.
Now that she thought about it... she had seen that smile quite a few times already.
A flicker of curiosity stirred in her heart.
"…Junior Sister Pei, why don't you tell me a bit about your Senior Brother?"
"Huh? My Senior Brother?" Pei Lengxue blinked. "Tell you what, exactly?"
"What kind of person is he? What do you two usually do together? Stuff like that?"
"Oh… um…" Pei Lengxue tapped her lip, clearly about to start praising him instinctively. But when her gaze fell on Xiao Yunluo's pretty face, something suddenly clicked. Her expression shifted.
"My Senior Brother… is a total scumbag!"
"...Huh? A scumbag?" Xiao Yunluo looked completely baffled.
"Yup! The worst!" Pei Lengxue nodded with full conviction. "He's barged in while I was bathing, beaten me until my face was black and blue, dislocated my bones, tried to feed me to monsters, poisoned me—"
"WHAT?!" Xiao Yunluo practically screamed. "He's a walking disaster!! A full-on monster!!"
"Exactly. He's got a human face but a beast's heart," Pei Lengxue said with the most solemn expression imaginable.
Xiao Yunluo stared at her in silence for a moment, then asked quietly, "Didn't you… suffer a lot then?"
Pei Lengxue nodded gravely. "Yup! So much…"
"I see..." Xiao Yunluo nodded thoughtfully, then, after a moment, said, "Then—should I help you?"
"Huh? Help... help me? With what?"
"Well, once the trial's over, I can tell the elders about your Senior Brother. Then the elders of the Profound Star Sect can arrest him. I'll make sure he spends the rest of his life rotting in the sect's dungeon."
Pei Lengxue's eyes widened in horror. She inhaled sharply.
She only wanted to make sure Xiao Yunluo wouldn't think too highly of her Senior Brother—definitely not to the point of getting interested in him! How had things spiraled into wanting to throw him in jail?!
Frantically, she waved her hands. "No! No, no, no!!"
"A guy like that deserves to be locked up."
"I—wait—I didn't mean—" Pei Lengxue stammered, but couldn't figure out how to explain it properly. In the end, she reached forward, grabbed Xiao Yunluo by the collar, and glared at her with all the threat she could muster. "Don't you dare lay a finger on my Senior Brother!!"
"—!"
Xiao Yunluo froze, shrinking her neck back in surprise.
"Ah—sorry!" Realizing she'd overreacted, Pei Lengxue quickly let go and mumbled an apology. "Actually, my Senior Brother… isn't that bad. He's kind of… nice, actually."
Xiao Yunluo raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Wait, is he a good guy or a bad guy? You literally just said—"
"Uhh..." Pei Lengxue hesitated, realizing she'd dug her own grave. In the end, she sighed and snapped, "Whatever! Just don't get anyone to arrest my Senior Brother! He's mine! If you try…"
"If I try… then what?" Xiao Yunluo asked, genuinely curious.
Pei Lengxue looked around quickly. Her eyes landed on Xiao Yunluo's pale, freezing hands, and said, "Then I won't warm your hands anymore!"
"..."
Xiao Yunluo had no idea what kind of face she should be making. But after a moment, she blinked and seemed to understand something completely different.
"Oooh! I get it now! You want to take revenge yourself, don't you?"
"Huh?"
"You don't want me to help you because you want to get stronger, and personally pay him back for everything he's done to you. You're going to bide your time until your cultivation surpasses his, and then—bam! Sweet, sweet revenge!"
"???" Pei Lengxue stared at her, absolutely stunned.
In the end, she just muttered, "Whatever, as long as you don't go after my Senior Brother."
"..."
"Promise me! You won't go after him! Did you hear me? Say it!"
"I heard you…" Xiao Yunluo let out a long sigh, oddly enough feeling a hint of sympathy for her.
Then, glancing toward the mouth of the cave, she frowned. "By the way, what's taking that white-haired idiot so long? It's been half an hour already, hasn't it?"
Pei Lengxue curled her lips. "Maybe she got eaten by a bear."
"Hmm..." Xiao Yunluo shrugged. She didn't dwell on the "idiot" and instead hesitated, inching a little closer to Pei Lengxue. "Hey… If I lean on you like this, will it bother you?"
"Nope. If you're cold, snuggle closer."
"Well, you said it~" Xiao Yunluo grinned, then fully wrapped her arms around Pei Lengxue and leaned her head against her shoulder. "From now on, you're my friend. If you ever run into trouble in the sect, just say my name. No one will dare lay a hand on you."
"Ah, okay."